Bareboat Yacht Charters Blog

You’re at anchor with the family in Christmas Cove, on the first night of your St. Thomas bareboat charter vacation. You turn to the kids and say, “Hey, why don’t we order a pizza for delivery?”

As far-fetched as that might sound, sailors in the Virgin Islands CAN order a pizza to go – or even have it delivered – thanks to Tara and Sasha Bouis, and their 37 foot motorsailor named “Pizza Pi.”

Seeing a niche opportunity, Sasha, a former charter boat skipper, and his wife, Tara, an award-winning private yacht charter cook, decided to take a chance and open the first floating pizzeria in the Virgin Islands.

They found an abandoned 37ft boat in Tortola, BVI, and spent two years repairing and refitting the boat with the necessary amenities to cook fresh pizza. They installed commercial-grade brick ovens, a dough maker, and everything else you would find in the kitchen of your neighborhood pizza joint.

They even traveled to New York city to learn how to make authentic NY-style thin crust pizza, or “pies” as they are called in the Big Apple (hence the name of the boat, Pizza “Pi”).

The Bouis’ decided to drop anchor for business in the Virgin Islands, the hub for Caribbean-based boat charters. They selected Christmas Cove, at the east end of St. Thomas, next to Great St. James Island. With easy access from St. Thomas and St John, it’s a popular cove for Virgin Island catamaran bareboats, as well as local resident boaters and tourist-packed dive boats.

You can order your pizza via your boat’s radio, or call it in via cell, or even e-mail it. Then you can either pick up the pizza in your dinghy (there’s a hatch in the stern where people on dinghies can place orders and pick up their pies), or Pi will deliver it to you – as long as you’re anchored in Christmas Cove.

So far, business is steady, with Sasha and Tara selling about 25 pies a day – and 30 to 40 on busy days.

That’s a lot of dough!! $$$!! (sorry, couldn’t resist a corny joke…)

NOTE: Pizza Pi is closed for the hurricane season, but reopens November, 2015…

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BOATING TIPS: Anchoring/Mooring in Christmas Cove – There are over 20 mooring buoys here, to protect the corals. Look for floating signage explaining the rules for using the buoys. There is also room for a few boats to anchor in sand and light grass just east of Fish Cay (a small island in the middle of the cove).

FREE PIZZA: book a yachting vacation in the USVI or BVI through 1-800 Bareboat, and we’ll treat you to a complimentary Pizza Pi large pizza with toppings during your charter!!! Contact us at info@bareboat.com, call our 24-hour hotline at 305-720-7245, or fill out our online form